SABC power crisis exposes deep financial woes, sparks calls for funding shake-up

The SABC is battling to keep its television, radio and digital services on air after a prolonged power outage. The power crisis disrupting the SABC’s Auckland Park operations has reignited calls for a sustainable funding model for the public broadcaster, with the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) warning that the outage has exposed deep financial and infrastructure vulnerabilities at an institution relied upon by millions of South Africans. The SABC is battling to keep its television, radio and digital services on air after a prolonged power outage and a secondary explosion disrupted transmissions and left its Auckland Park headquarters without a stable electricity supply. Interruption With parts of its broadcasting network affected and no confirmed timeline for the restoration of power, the broadcaster has been forced to rely on emergency generators while technicians work to prevent further disruptions. Sanef said the incident highlights the growing strain on a broadcaster already grappling with financial pressures and infrastructure challenges. “The power outage and its impact on the SABC’s continued ability to carry out its mandate underline the growing need for a new funding model for the public broadcaster. “This incident underscores the urgent necessity for a sustainable funding strategy for the SABC, as its current reliance on volatile advertising revenue is untenable and compromises its critical public mandate,” Sanef said. Funding The media body welcomed efforts to address the outage linked to the Mayfair Substation and said it would continue monitoring developments while hoping City Power restores electricity to the area as quickly as possible. Sanef argued that the latest disruption demonstrates why the public broadcaster requires a more stable and sustainable source of funding to safeguard its ability to deliver news, information and public-interest programming to audiences across the country. The organisation also pointed to ongoing operational and infrastructure challenges facing the broadcaster, including maintenance issues affecting facilities at its premises. “The SABC plays a critical role in South Africa’s journalism and media, and any disruption to its key services disadvantages millions of South Africans; hence, its financial sustainability should be of concern to all of us.” Last year, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) appointed BMIT Knowledge Group to develop a funding model for the SABC. It came after the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Sangoni-Diko, warned that the SABC was on the brink of collapse and may cease operations in December if a funding model is not finalised. Updates Meanwhile, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi has been in contact with the SABC’s group chief executive officer and is receiving regular updates on the situation. The department said the broadcaster intends to continue television, radio and online broadcasts while contingency measures remain in place, with government and SABC management working together to minimise further disruptions as efforts to restore power continue. Despite the ongoing challenges, the broadcaster has sought to reassure audiences that technical teams are working around the clock to maintain services and restore affected platforms as quickly as possible.